Machupicchu
Hiking the Huayna Picchu Mountain

Hiking the Huayna Picchu Mountain

Hiking up the Huayna Picchu Mountain is a really wonderful experience.  To reach the top it requires hiking up 300 meters (almost 1000 ft) on a steep path in the sacred city. It was so exciting and made our experience fully rewarding once we got to the top.

First of all, it’s important to know that as long as you have good physical conditions and not afraid of heights, you can succeed on hiking the Huayna Picchu Mountain (2667 m/8750 ft). We have seen people over their 50s hiking the mountain with no problems. Of course, you have to climb carefully and take your time to make it, we highly recommend you stop every once in a while on the path & overlooking the amazing landscape that surrounds you. Enjoy every narrow step on the road, take a short time to meditate and admire the space & time you’re living at the moment, do you remember the phrase, Carpe Diem?

huayna Picchu Check Point
Huayna Picchu Check Point – 2 groups available, at 7 am & 10 am – Only 400 visitors allowed to enter.

Living this experience was absolutely fantastic for us, and we think that it will be for you too. However, it’s important to know that climbing the Huayna Picchu Mountain is a high demanded hike in Peru. So prepare your trip far in advance to have no surprises.
The Peruvian government has set up a maximum number of tickets available for climbing the mountain, only 400 lucky travelers are allowed to hike the Huayna Picchu mountain every day, it’s not possible to get a ticket entrance once it’s sold out. You can learn more about how to buy Machu Picchu tickets online and other important information related to visiting Machu Picchu in our post.

BEFORE HIKING THE HUAYNA PICCHU MOUNTAIN

  • Book your ticket in advance, we recommend buy it at least 3 months before your arrival.
  • Make sure you wear hiking shoes and take a repellent as well as a sun block.
  • If you’re planning to hike the mountain during the rainy season (November through March), take a raincoat with you.
  • Take your entrance ticket, your passport, and some water & snacks.
  • Not recommended if you’re afraid of heights.

Remember that you will hike lots of steps and narrow paths before leading up the Huayna Picchu, so just take your time at climbing it, you will also find some areas to regain the breath and take pictures. You can normally reach the top in an hour. After having a fantastic view of Machu Picchu from the top you can either go back down to the citadel or make an extra hike to the temple of the moon, in which case it will take you 2 more hours.

Hiking Huayna Picchu Mountain
Wouldn’t it be nice to post a photo like this on your favorite social media? Can you see that beautiful butterfly?

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM HIKING THE HUAYNA PICCHU MOUNTAIN?

Your experience will begin by getting your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu. If you need any assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us or go to our website to have all support for your trip.
If you have booked your hike for the first group (at 7 am) then make sure to arrive early. Lots of visitors like you, hope to reach Machu Picchu very early in order to see the sunrise and spend as much time as possible in the Inca citadel, so we suggest you take all necessary precautions to avoid crowds. We remind you that first buses from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu depart from 5:30 am.

The checkpoint for climbing the Huayna Picchu is located next to the area called “The Sacred Rock”, on the north part of the citadel. Make sure to have with you all documents needed (tickets, passport, etc.). The first 10 minutes of walking will be pretty easy, you’ll see leafy vegetation all around, like if you were in the middle of the jungle. Next, you’ll start climbing the mountain through narrow steps but also overlooking fantastic views of Machu Picchu citadel as well as the river Urubamba deep down. The more you hike, the steeper the path it becomes, especially the last 15 minutes before leading up to the top. During your climb, you will be able to see lots of Inca steps, nice terraces & beautiful views of the sacred city.

In general, the hike is pretty safe and doable, but again, make sure of not being afraid of heights before climbing the mountain.

Our Gift: The top of Huayna Picchu Mountain on 360 degrees!

[vrview img=”http://www.machupicchu-explorer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/huayna-picchu-mountain-machupicchu-explorer.jpg” width=”100%” ]

SHOULD I BOOK MY TICKET FOR THE FIRST OR SECOND GROUP?

For hiking up the Huayna Picchu you have two slots available. You can either hike in the first group at 7 am or the second group at 10 am. We would suggest climbing better at 10 am since it might be less cloudy than hiking earlier at 7 am. Also, you will be able to see a clean sky and take better photos. But again, it all depends on which group you’ll find available tickets, that’s why we recommend you purchase your tickets as soon as you can.

Finally, we hope that this post will be useful for planning your trip. Try to follow these suggestions in order to fully enjoy your experience in Machu Picchu. If you need more information or assistance regarding your trip to Peru, don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll be happy to hear from you. Cheers!

 

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